Steve Park Watkins Glen race report

Park Persevered To Finish 10th At Watkins Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- After break problems during qualifying put the
reigning track champion in the 37th position to start the race, Pennzoil
driver Steve Park overcame adversities throughout the ...

Park Persevered To Finish 10th At Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- After break problems during qualifying put the
reigning track champion in the 37th position to start the race, Pennzoil
driver Steve Park overcame adversities throughout the weekend to post
a very respectable 10th-place finish during the Global Crossing at the
Glen at Watkins Glen International on Sunday afternoon.

"We really felt we had a car to qualify well, but started almost last
because of a brake problem," said Park, who won at the Glen from the
18th position last year. "But I really felt that if we could get the
Pennzoil car handling where we needed to be, we would be able to come
from the back and post a decent finish. The car was consistent enough to
be able to work our way up to the front."

Without making a single lap during time trials, Park took a provisional
to defend his crown. Ignition box problems gave the young driver another
scare before the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet went through inspection on Sunday
morning. The crew persevered though and never gave up.

Pitting during the first caution on lap 19, Park was then out of
sequence with the leaders as they came in for service on lap 29. Running
in the front as others did pit, crew chief Paul Andrews kept Park on
the track until lap 52 when they pitted again for four tires and minor
adjustments. Patient in the second half of the race, the New York native
hit his marks and ran smooth.

With fuel mileage close at the end, Andrews welcomed the late cautions
that allowed Park to conserve gas, avoiding a late-race pit stop. As
several of the top runners jockeyed dangerously for position late in the
race, Park moved up three spots in the waning laps to remain 11th in the
points standings -- 63 points from the 10th spot.

"It's all we would ask for from starting 37th. We really didn't have
a great racecar," said Park, who remains 11th in the points standings.
I knew what the late and great Dale Earnhardt told me -- he said that if
you stay on the course and don't burn your brakes up or break your
transmission, you can finish in the top 10. We used that theory to get
us a good, solid top-10 finish. Just being patience today paid off."

Winning for the fourth time at Watkins Glen, Jeff Gordon, who is first
in the points standings, became the all-time leader in road course
victories with seven. Rounding out the top five were Jeff Burton, Jeremy
Mayfield, Ricky Rudd and Todd Bodine.